IOMTT RL 360 Superstock Results 2014

Byron's sure to be hunched over a laptop after the checkers are flown, caught in his own little version of heaven. Whether on dirt, street or a combination of both, MotoUSA's newest addition knows the only thing better than actually riding is telling the story of how things went down.

MD Racing’s Michael Dunlop secured his second TT win of the 2014 Isle of Man TT races, the ninth of his career, in the RL 360 Superstock race. RC Express’ Dean Harrison finished just over 20 seconds behind in the runner-up spot followed by Valvoline Racing/Padgetts Honda’s Bruce Anstey in third.

During the first lap Dunlop was fiercely challenged by Supersport Race 1 winner, Gary Johnson of Smiths Triumph. Johnson’s run for the front was short-lived however, due to a crash on the way to the Waterworks. Later reports confirmed that the Triumph rider was conscious but had suffered fractures and was airlifted to Nobles Hospital for treatment.

Harrison slipped into second-place by the end of Lap 1, followed by Anstey and Quattro Kawasaki’s James Hillier in fourth. Dunlop throttled ahead in the second rotation, setting the fastest lap of the race at 129.621 mph and stretching his lead over Harrison to nearly 13 seconds. Harrison, meanwhile, was still pacing ahead of Anstey, crossing with a little more than four seconds between the two at the end of Lap 2. Behind, RAF Reserves Racing’s Connor Cummins, Tyco Suzuki’s Guy Martin and Bathams BMW’s Michael Rutter had all moved ahead of Hillier, dropping the Kawasaki rider to seventh in the standings.

The gap between first and second continued to grow on Lap 3, with Dunlop proving unstoppable. Harrison and Anstey continued to hold the number two and three positions with Cummins settled in fourth. Martin, though, dropped out of contention for a top-five result on the penultimate lap, retiring from the race at Parliament Square.

Dunlop averaged 127.919 mph on his final lap to bring home the win. Behind Harrison and Anstey, Cummins crossed the line in fourth. Later review saw the Honda rider receive a two-minute penalty for an “ineligible suspension component,” which dropped him down to 18th. Lloyd and Jones Kawasaki’s David Johnson moved up to claim fourth-place after the ruling, followed by Miles/Pirtek Honda’s Lee Johnston in fifth. Rutter took sixth while Mark’s Bloom Racing’s Dan Kneen finished in seventh. Ice Valley BMW’s Peter Hickman scored an impressive eighth, riding in his first IOMTT races this year as a privateer. Hickman outpaced TT veteran John McGuinness of Valvoline/Padgetts Honda, who finished in ninth.

For the second day in a row, a rider lost his life on the TT course. The previous day, Bob Price went down at Ballaugh and later succumbed to his injuries. In the Superstock race, Karl Harris suffered a crash at Joey’s on Lap 2 and passed away as a result of the incident. Harris was a longtime road racer, making his TT debut in 2012. He was a three-time British Supersport champion and regular podium contender in British Superbike during the early 2000s.